This invention relates to the field of actuators for pressurized containers and in particular to child-safe actuators of the type intended to prevent actuation by children of tender years.
During recent years pressure packaging has developed into one of the most popular forms of packaging for fluid products. Such packages, usually cylindrical metal cans having a dispensing valve at one end, have tremendous advantages in convenience and ease of product application. Their popularity is evidenced by the fact that many billions of such packages (usually known as "aerosols") are used each year.
Many highly corrosive and potentially harmful products, which are dangerous if improperly used, are conventionally packaged in pressurized cans for ease of application of the product. Such products include various household chemicals such as insecticides, starches, and oven cleaners, and other products such as paints, hair sprays, and the like which may, under certain circumstances, be harmful to small children and pets or injurious to furniture, carpets, and the like. Although pressurized packaging in general has shown itself to be one of the safest forms of packaging, efforts are continually being made to improve product safety; and, it can be demonstrated that the safety of aerosol devices has improved in recent years. One aspect of the safety effort has been an attempt to render the contents of aerosol containers inaccessible to children of tender years. Aerosol devices which accomplish this have been given the designation "child-safe."
Many of these devices are complicated in nature and expensive in construction. With others, the method of operation is not plain to an observer and a significant educational process may be required. Some child-safe devices fail to have distinct, positive and visible on-off conditions. Some may be unlocked by random, unintentional actions; others do not display their condition to an adult observer. There is a need for a reliable one-piece molded child-safe actuator overcoming the aforementioned problems and deficiencies. There is need for an improved, reliable, simple, inexpensive actuator device, the condition of which and operation of which would be apparent to observers without engaging in a significant educational process.